A Stolen Life: A Memoir

This summary section includes Chapter 10: “Christmas.”

Jaycee describes Christmas Day of 1993. She has been a captive for 907 days, and her life consists of a monotonous routine of watching television and receiving meals in between Phillip’s drug-induced sex runs. In the months that follow, Jaycee is moved between the “studio” and “next door” because of Phillip’s growing paranoia. When Phillip is in the studio, she hears him recording music with his friends. Jaycee actually believes that Phillip will succeed as a musician because he tells her so.

Her captor also buys her a kitten, which he then takes away. Then another, which he also takes away. Jaycee becomes very attached to a kitten named Eclipse and writes a journal about her. After four months, this animal is also removed. Jayce says, “It was all about Phillip, his needs, and what he wanted. He got rid of Eclipse while he was on a ‘run’ […] It seemed every argument ended up with me wrong and him right. He had all the power” (79).

This summary section includes Chapter 11: “Learning I Was Pregnant,” Chapter 12: “Driving to a Trailer,” Chapter 13: “Waiting for Baby”, Chapter 14: “Taking Care of a Baby,” Chapter 15: “Sarge,” Chapter 16: “Second Baby” Chapter 17: “The Starting of Printing for Less.